Strong southern challenge
ANOTHER southern raiding party will attack a northern fortress today.
South Island stables will have six horses at Otaki, including two of the nine runners in the $200,000 Group I Haunui Farm Classic (1600m).
The Diamond One and Final Touch will contest the feature race and Dillinger and Lukander tackle The Dominion Post St Leger Trial (2100m). The southern team is completed by Locket in the $25,000 fillies and mares rating 75 and Confused in the rating 75 2100m.
South Island horses have already made a mark in the north this year, with five wins and three seconds at the Wellington Cup meeting. Alpine Heights won the Group III Trentham Stakes and Natuzzi was only just beaten in the Group I Telegraph Handicap.
In addition, The Solitaire, a stablemate of The Diamond One, won an open handicap at Pukekohe last month, before finishing third in the Group I Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa.
The Diamond One will be an intriguing contender for the Haunui Farm and was the best-backed runner in final field betting yesterday.
There were no big investments on the Wingatui mare but she attracted steady support from punters who were confident she could handle the step up to weight-forage racing.
The four-year-old has had five wins and three seconds from 11 starts and has never finished further back than fourth.
She had an early tilt at Group I company, when fourth of 18 in the One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November 2012, and has had four wins and a second from five starts this season.
Her one defeat this term came when she was beaten half a neck by Arietta in the Canterbury Breeders Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton in November and since then she has won the listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m) and Group III White Robe Handicap (1600m) on her home track.
“She probably should have been unbeaten this season,” her trainer, Steve Anderton, said.
“She had a pretty tough run [from a wide barrier] in the Breeders’ Stakes.
“It was a good effort in the Hazlett – she probably shouldn’t have won with the run she got – and she won the White Robe pretty well.
“The White Robe will have brought her on a bit more too. It was her first run for five weeks and she was stepping up from 1200m to 1600m.
“I would normally have given her a run in between but she’s pretty clean-winded and I wanted
It is a big jump up but I honestly think she’s up to it
Steve Anderton
to get her into the White Robe with as light a weight as I could.”
The Diamond One has had only two runs at 1600m, for the Thousand Guineas placing and the White Robe win and punters have also been encouraged by Chris Johnson’s decision to ride The Diamond One ahead of Final Touch.
However, The Diamond One got into the Hazlett on the minimum, at 53kg, and was getting 6kg from the runner-up El Chico and will have to cope with a rise in weight as well as class today.
“It is a big jump up but I honestly think she’s up to it,” Anderton said.
“I’ve always thought she could get through to Group I level.
“She wasn’t quite there when she ran in the One Thousand Guineas and pulled up shinsore. She needed a bit more time and is mentally and physically that much stronger this time in.
“She’s got gate speed and should get a good run from her inside barrier [at Otaki].”
The leading Haunui chances had their prices cut yesterday, following the scratching of Diademe, who had opened as fourth favourite.
Xanadu was at $3.60 last night with Nashville and Viadana at $5 and The Diamond One at $5.50. Former Hong Kong galloper Packing Tycoon was at $9 and the only other runner at single-figure odds.
Hayden Tinsley picked up the mount on Final Touch after Johnson opted for The Diamond One.
Final Touch, New Zealand’s star sprinter last term, has been below her best in four starts since winning the Group II Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe in November.
She struck herself in both the Captain Cook Stakes and Manawatu Challenge Stakes in December. Changes to her shoes seem to have solved that problem but she was never prominent in either the Tel- egraph at Trentham or the NRM Sprint at Te Rapa.
However, she will race in visor blinkers today and trainer Karen Parsons is happy with the mare’s fitness.
“I’m not making any predictions and my jockey has abandoned ship, so that tells you something,” Parsons said.
“But she’s as bright as a button and her work has been terrific. I couldn’t fault her physically.
“John [husband and training partner John Parsons] thinks it’s just a confidence thing with her now.
“I didn’t think it was a great run at Te Rapa but she got too far off them and we have had a lot of success with Hayden.”
Parsons also prepares Dillinger, Locket and Confused and is expecting good runs from all three, even though their form might not look convincing on paper.
Locket is dropping back in class and missed the kick at Te Rapa at her last start, while Dillinger had a rocky run in the same Te Rapa race and is a better chance than his form suggests.
“Dillinger is working well and looks a million dollars,” Parsons said.